Split by the Danube River into hilly Buda and flat, bustling Pest, Budapest offers two genuinely different sides of one city — Buda Castle and Fisherman's Bastion for sweeping views, and Pest's grand boulevards, ruin bars, and the Hungarian Parliament Building for street-level energy.
The city's thermal baths, fed by natural hot springs, are a defining Budapest experience — Széchenyi and Gellért are the two most famous, and both are worth a few hours even outside of a spa-focused trip.
Spring (April-May) and early autumn (September-October) offer the most comfortable weather for walking the city and using the outdoor baths without peak-summer crowds; winter has its own charm with Christmas markets, though the outdoor baths are chillier (though still open and popular).
